He could face the likes of world number two Rafael Nadal or home favourite Nick Kyrgios in the early stages at the Queensland Tennis Centre, where the first round will be played on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Fellow Briton Kyle Edmund is also poised to be in the field along with Grigor Dimitrov, Kei Nishikori, Milos Raonic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Daniil Medvedev.

Double Wimbledon champion Murray ended his competitive season early in September, when he pulled out of the China Open, in order to prepare for the Australian Open in Melbourne, which gets under way in mid-January.

Murray has undergone several weeks of reconditioning work in Philadelphia with American fitness specialist Bill Knowles, whose previous list of past clients includes Tiger Woods and Jonny Wilkinson.

More recently, he has had a training block in Miami, where he was pictured with former top-10 player Fernando Verdasco, who was one of his hitting partners.